1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to kitchen appliances, and more particularly to a refrigerated automatic fruit and vegetable washer that washes fruits and/or vegetables and stores them in a cool environment after they have been washed.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Fruits and vegetable are subjected pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that are sprayed on them to prevent damage from insects, worms, fungi, viruses, bacteria etc. The public is becoming increasing aware of the cumulative health effects caused by unavoidable or unintentional consumption of residues of toxic pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, as well as microbiological contaminants.
Over a period of time, insects and microbiological contaminants can become immune to the existing pesticides, herbicides and fungicides and new, stronger products of these types are being introduced to overcome this problem.
Most people hand wash their fruits and vegetables after purchase in order to reduce the likelihood of adverse health effects that may be caused by inadvertent consumption of strong or toxic pesticide, herbicide and fungicide residues. Hand washing is usually carried out at the kitchen sink and is a time consuming, laborious task. After the fruits and/or vegetables are washed, they are usually placed in drain basket on the kitchen counter and allowed to dry and thereafter are placed in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator so that they will stay cool and fresh. Cooling of fruits and vegetables is desirable to slow down deterioration and maintain freshness.
Lin et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,881 discloses a dynamic ultrasonic cleaning and disinfecting device and method for the ultrasonic cleaning and disinfecting of fruit and vegetables, which stirs the fruit and vegetable items within a cleaning tank filled with water and suitable cleaning agent, while exposing all of their sides to a maximum level of vibration energy to achieve cleaning. There is no provision for cooling and storing the fruits and vegetables.
St. Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,731 discloses a method of washing produce wherein the vegetable and/or fruit, is supported upon a screen basket suspended within a closed cabinet. Each of a plurality of nozzles disposed about the basket emits a filled cone of washing liquid to scour the produce and to dislodge by agitation and flotation debris therefrom. After filtering of the washing fluid through a screen in the cabinet, the washing fluid is recycled by a pump pumping the washing fluid from a collection trough to the nozzles. Preferably, the washing fluid is slightly acidic. There is nor provision for cooling and storing the fruits and vegetables.
Kim, U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,116 discloses a device for cleansing bowls that has a fruit and vegetable cleansing mode. The cleansing device comprises: a cabinet for forming a cleansing room; a cleansing basket installed inside the cleansing room, for loading therein articles to be cleansed; a spray nozzle for spraying the cleansing water to the articles loaded in the cleansing basket; a pump for supplying the cleansing water to the spray nozzle; a heater for heating the cleansing water; a mode selector for selecting one of a plurality of modes including a bowl cleansing mode and a fruit and vegetable cleansing mode; and a controller for controlling the heater so that the cleansing water has a temperature suitable for the cleansing mode selected through the mode selector. The bowl cleansing device may further comprise: a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the cleansing water, wherein the controller controls the heater according to the detected temperature of the cleaning water; and a pollution sensor for detecting the pollution level of the cleansing water, wherein if the detected pollution level is below a preset reference value after a cleansing operation, the controller determines that the cleansing operation is completed and stops the cleansing operation. There is nor provision for cooling and storing the fruits and vegetables.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a refrigerated automatic fruit and vegetable washer that washes fruits and/or vegetables and stores them in a cool environment after they have been washed. A portable self-contained embodiment has a cabinet that sits on a countertop and contains a water spray system and a thermoelectric cooling system and sits on a kitchen countertop and has water inlet and drain hoses releasably connected to the sink faucet. Another self-contained embodiment fits into a lower storage compartment of a refrigerator and can be removed and placed on the countertop for the washing operation. A built-in cabinet embodiment is permanently installed in the kitchen. A wash-only embodiment is slidably received in the lower portion of a refrigerator in place of the existing vegetable crisper to be cooled by the refrigerator cooling system and is removed therefrom and placed on a countertop for the washing operation. The fruit and vegetable washer may also be built into a refrigerator as an integral component of the refrigerator.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable refrigerated automatic fruit and vegetable washer that easily and quickly washes fruits and/or vegetables and stores them in a cool environment after they have been washed.
It is another object of this invention to provide a portable self-contained refrigerated automatic fruit and vegetable washer that sits on a countertop and contains a water spray system and a cooling system and is easily and quickly connected to the sink faucet.
Another object of this invention is to provide a portable self-contained refrigerated automatic fruit and vegetable washer which fits into a lower storage compartment of a refrigerator and can be removed and placed on a countertop for the washing operation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a refrigerated automatic fruit and vegetable washer that is permanently installed in the kitchen beneath a countertop.
Another object of this invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable washer which is slidably received in the lower portion of a refrigerator in place of an existing vegetable crisper to be cooled by the refrigerator cooling system and is removed therefrom and placed on a countertop for the washing operation.
A further object of this invention is to provide a refrigerator having a fruit and vegetable washer compartment that washes fruits and/or vegetables and stores them in a cool environment after they have been washed.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable washer which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and reliable in operation.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent from time to time throughout the specification and claims as hereinafter related.
The above noted objects and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a refrigerated automatic fruit and vegetable washer that washes fruits and/or vegetables and stores them in a cool environment after they have been washed. A portable self-contained embodiment has a cabinet that sits on a countertop and contains a water spray system and a thermoelectric cooling system and sits on a kitchen countertop and has water inlet and drain hoses releasably connected to the sink faucet. Another self-contained embodiment fits into a lower storage compartment of a refrigerator and can be removed and placed on the countertop for the washing operation. A built-in cabinet embodiment is permanently installed in the kitchen. A wash-only embodiment is slidably received in the lower portion of a refrigerator in place of the existing vegetable crisper to be cooled by the refrigerator cooling system and is removed therefrom and placed on a countertop for the washing operation. The fruit and vegetable washer may also be built into a refrigerator as an integral component of the refrigerator.